Daily Gratitude

Dear Children,

   I'm so grateful for the amazing Love you have opened up in my Life. I hope you will take a few moments each day to give thanks for all the Blessings  we have. For laughter... and healthy(ish) bodies... and the food we are blessed with... for our humble little home. 

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Ephesians 5: 18-20

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

If ye love me, keep my commandments.

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you

John 14

You Get to Choose

On our way to the local store we talked about his classes for next year. He met with one of his teachers today to start the process of selecting classes for next year. As we pulled into the parking lot I told him - "This is your life - you get to make the choices." Our job as parents is merely to teach, love, and gently guide our children. To expose them to solid , healthy values. To teach by example. To listen and love.

A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.

The rich and poor meet together: the Lord is the maker of them all.

A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.

By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honour, and life.

Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them.

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.

He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail.

He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.

Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease.

He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend.

The eyes of the Lord preserve knowledge, and he overthroweth the words of the transgressor.
Proverbs 22:1-12

Please take a moment to read this great little story from Jack Canfield -

When Sarah was just a small child, she was very curious and had a strong will. With a big world to explore, she got into everything—from pulling out the linens in the closet to feel how the various materials rubbed against her skin, to tugging up the flowers in the garden to find out how deep the roots went. Sarah was definitely a handful of energy as she plunged headfirst into whatever she had decided to do.

Rather than asking Sarah why she did the things she did, her parents felt that discipline would set her straight. So, with stern voices they would chastise her, rather than seek to understand her:
Don’t touch that!

Stay out of there!

Don’t do that!

You should be ashamed of yourself, Sarah!

To avoid being reprimanded, Sarah quickly learned how to do the things that her parents wanted her to do, rather than those that she wanted for herself. As she grew older, this way of living—operating to satisfy others at her own expense—became the norm and she forgot the simple joys of making up her own mind about what she wanted to do and how she wanted to do it.
Does this story sound familiar to you?

Can you relate with the way Sarah began to live her parent’s vision for her life—or rather was limited by their lack of vision—instead of deciding what she wanted from life and who she truly wanted to be? Her early childhood programming got in the way of discovering what she really wanted in life.

My book The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be asks the child in all of us an important question: Do you know what you want from your life?

Deciding What You Want
The subtitle of my book is “How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be.” The implication, of course, is that to find success, you not only have to know where you are now, but you also need to know where you want to end up. You need to be able to imagine what that place—your place of success, that place you want to be in life—feels like, sounds like, smells like, tastes like. You need to clarify your destination so you will be sure to know it when you arrive.
Clarifying exactly what you want in life is no easy task. As it guides you to a more refined sense of self-awareness, The Success Principles™ offers a wealth of wonderful suggestions to help you on your journey. Here is a sampling of ways to help you decide what you want from your life.

Stop Settling for “I Don’t Care, I Don’t Know, and It Doesn’t Matter to Me.”
It doesn’t matter how small the decision, to begin reclaiming your right to decide what you want, have a preference. Yours is just as important as anybody else’s so speak up, voice yourself.

30-30-30
If you are having a hard time figuring out the one thing you want from your life, why not choose thirty? That’s right. On a piece of paper, write down a list of 30 things you want to do, 30 things you want to have, and 30 things you want be before you die. Sometimes when the pressure to find just one thing is removed, the floodgates open and you discover that there are a multitude of things that you want to do with and in your successful life.

Make an “I want” List
For 10-15 minutes have a friend record your answers to the simple question, “What do you want?” During the allotted time, have your friend ask you the question over and over again. If you’re like most people, your list will range from the very material things to matters of the heart and the true revelations of who you are and what you want from your most true self. Go ahead, start asking: What do you want? What do you want? I want! I want!

Don’t Worry, The Money Will Come
Is worrying about making a living keeping you from deciding upon what you want in life? Are you afraid that you won’t be able to survive if you follow your bliss? Make a list of 20 things you absolutely love to do. Then, try and imagine ways you can make a living doing these things. For example, if you love books, you could be a writer, a librarian, a clerk in a bookstore, a teacher, a desktop publisher, and on and on. Don’t worry—you can do it. You only have to believe, trust, and act.

Dream Big
When you are deciding what you want from your life, there is no reason to think small. Take a risk and dream big, shoot for the stars. This is your opportunity to write the script to your life—you are the star, not a bit player. Have the courage to write the role of a lifetime and, imagine this, yours will be the name shining on the marquee for all to see. Dream big because amazing things can and do happen to people just like you each and every day!

Share Your Vision—It Will Help You See
When you share your vision of success with trusted others, family and close friends, you will gain the support of your loved ones. In addition, each time you verbalize your goals, you are affirming to yourself and the universe that you know what you want in life, where you want to go, and that you are deserving of the successes you will find when you arrive.

Don’t delay. Decide what you want and begin transforming your life starting today!

credits: Jack Canfield, America's #1 Success Coach, is founder of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul®and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com

A Joyous Song

Oh, hush thee, little Dear-my-Soul, The evening shades are falling,— Hush thee, my dear, dost thou not hear The voice of the Master calling?

Deep lies the snow upon the earth, But all the sky is ringing With joyous song, and all night long The stars shall dance, with singing.

Oh, hush thee, little Dear-my-Soul, And close thine eyes in dreaming, And angels fair shall lead thee where The singing stars are beaming.

A shepherd calls his little lambs, And he longeth to caress them; He bids them rest upon his breast, That his tender love may bless them.

So, hush thee, little Dear-my-Soul, Whilst evening shades are falling, And above the song of the heavenly throng Thou shalt hear the Master calling.

Love

   There are some disciplines that we need to follow as we engage in the dialogue of love.

First, there is the discipline of giving oneself. It is the discipline of keeping oneself responsible for and to one another, responsible in facing issues and in making decisions. The only way to love is to communicate love by word and action. We may learn to use our power of being to speak and act the word of love. We should refuse to withhold it for any reason, including our fear of speaking it. Of course, there is risk in giving ourselves. Our gift of love may not be accepted, may not be appreciated, and may even be exploited. In giving love we may be hurt because of the nature of others’ responses. But we will be stronger for having given it, and others may be called forth by it. Life cannot remain the same when love has been expressed.


Second, there is the discipline of holding ourselves to our own part. This is the discipline of allowing others to speak for themselves; or again, the discipline of refraining from trying to carry on both sides of a dialogue. We are always doing this; that is, we speak to the image we have of the other person. We try to anticipate his response and take away his freedom to respond and speak for himself. We choose our part of the dialogue in response to what we think his reaction will be and thereby rob ourselves of our freedom to be. There can be no communication between the images which two people hold of each other. Communication is possible only between two persons who, out of mutual respect, really address one another.

A third discipline is to accept the demand in love and our obligation to meet that demand. The compulsive element in love is hard for us to accept. But we cannot separate law from love. Law is implicit in love. Our Lord, Who is the incarnation of divine love, warned that He would not remove one bit of the law. He did not destroy the law, but by His love fulfilled it. It is really good that law is a part of love. Our own love relationships benefit from the presence of law in love, because law guides and protects our relationship. When we are “in love,” or in union with one another, we are not conscious of the law, but it is implicitly present. We can be said to be “living above the law.”

The law that is implicit in the relationship between a man and a woman who love each other is that they shall respect and act trustworthily in relation to one another; that they shall care for one another in all the ways that are necessary to their relationship. As long as love prevails, they are not conscious of this law. They do not need it. But if for any reason they should “fall out of” love, then they become conscious of their obligations to each other. Their relationship is now lived under the burden of law, and they will find it harder to observe than they did before. They now are being held together by their obligations, and it may be that while being thus held together they will again find each other in love. When they look back on this period some years later, they may call the whole experience love, because then they will see that the obligations of their relationship are a part of their love. Obviously, this is mature and not infantile love. Love that accepts responsibility and its obligations is love that is not primarily concerned about its privileges, although it gives thanks for whatever privileges it has. It recognizes itself not primarily as an emotion, but as a way of life; and it is more concerned about commitment than sensation.

By the employment of these principles that we have just rehearsed, we can help our children grow in their capacity to love and thereby become more capable of a heroic commitment to one another. This kind of commitment should characterize the members of the Christian fellowship, the men and women in whose lives the Spirit of the Christ is incarnate.

We have seen that we need to be loved in order that we may love others and that we should encourage one another’s love responses. Does this mean that our attempts to express love should be accepted without correction? What should the rose-growing father of the little boy have done? One view is that the father should have accepted the gift with thanks, recognizing only the child’s intention. Certainly, his intentions should be honored and his gift accepted. But the boy also needed help in learning how to express his love to others. Here is something we are always having to learn.

All of us have had the experience of doing or giving something that was intended to be an expression of our love, only to discover that the gift was not appreciated by the one to whom it was given, and we find ourselves saying, “Oh, I didn’t mean it to be that way.” With children and with one another we need to strike a balance between acceptance of the intention and guidance in choosing the means for the expression of love. Loving is an art, and we all need to learn the art and to refine its practice.

"Every day, in every respect, I am getting better and better"

Love often

I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
 That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ.
Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
Philippians 1:9-11

Love life  and life will love you back

Pour Out Your Heart

In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.

Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Psalm 62: 7-8

If you'd have a rare growth and unfoldment supreme,
And make life one long joy and contentment complete,

Then with kindliness, love, and good will let it teem,
And with service for all make it fully replete.

If you'd have all the world and all heaven to love you,
And that love with its power would you fully convince,

Then love all the world; and men royal and true,
Will make cry as you pass—"God bless him, the prince!"

His Love

No man hath beheld God at any time: if we love one another, God abideth in us, and his love is perfected in us:

hereby we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

And we have beheld and bear witness that the Father hath sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. 1 John 4:12-14

An excerpt from D.L. Moody's classic works:

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Many people would put it thus: “For by your works are ye saved,—or by your tears, or your prayers, or your fastings, or your trials, or your good resolutions, or your money!” But Paul tells us plainly that it is “not of works, lest any man should boast.”

The forgiving grace of God is wonderful. He will save you this very minute, if you are willing to be saved. He delights in mercy. He wants to show that mercy to every soul. The religion of Christ is not man working his way up to God; it is God coming down to man. It is Christ coming down to the pit of sin and woe where we are, bringing us out of the pit, putting our feet upon a rock, and a new song in our mouth.

Love and God's Grace

No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.

Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. " 1 John 4:12-16

Today's thoughts come courtesy of D.L. Moody -

"For six thousand years, God has been trying to teach the world this great and glorious truth—that He wants to deal with man in love and in grace. It runs right through the Bible; all along you find this stream of grace flowing. The very last promise in the closing chapter of Revelation, like the first promise in Eden, is a promise of grace: “Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” So the whole revelation, and the whole history of man is encircled with grace, the free favor of God."

From the morning of the creation down to the present time no man or woman ever went to God with a broken heart without experiencing the forgiving love and grace of God, if they believed His Word.

Love in Deeds

"let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth" 1 John 3:18

"I know no great men," says Voltaire, "except those who have rendered great services to the human race." Men are measured by what they do; not by what they seem or possess.

"We live in deeds, not years; in thoughts, not breaths:
In feelings, not in figures on a dial.
We should count time by heart-throbs. He most lives
Who thinks most, feels the noblest, acts the best;
And he whose heart beats quickest lives the longest."

In the sublimest flights of the soul, rectitude is never surmounted, love is never outgrown. —Emerson.

Love Your Family And Your Fellow Man

"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. " John 13:34-35

The relationship between man and woman is important to men, but also is a part of God’s plan for the reconciliation of the world unto Himself. It is given to us for our own sakes and also for the accomplishment of God’s purposes.

I once knew a bus driver who discovered that he, too, could call forth people by the way in which he greeted them and did business with them. On his morning runs he observed that many people were grumpy and sullen, and treated him and their fellow passengers discourteously. At first his inclination was to respond in the same way.

Then he discovered that by taking the initiative and greeting his passengers with a smile and cordial word, and by making change cheerfully and being patient with their grumpiness, the spirit of his passengers underwent a transformation. Over the years a number of people told him how grateful they were for his good cheer. They said that his influence had often been decisive in their lives. It had affected their relations with other people.

Thus, his attitude toward people and his method of relating himself to them as a driver of a bus became his ministry; and since he was a member of the church, the church’s ministry reached out and worked through that bus driver into the lives of many who may never have come anywhere near the church. Through such relationships. God is present and active in the world.

We are to love God by loving one another, and in loving one another we introduce one another to God. This is the work of the church and the vocation of the people of God. We are called to love one another with the love wherewith God loved us.

In order for us to participate in the love of God which is at work in the world, we need to understand ourselves and our own human problems in relation to love.

We do not find love by looking for it; we find it by giving it. And when we find love by loving, we find God. Our Lord gave us His love generously, not in order that we might be loved, but that we might be freed to love one another.

The place where we encounter God first is in the family. The family provides the individual with his first experience of living in relation to other persons, and this is his first experience of Christian fellowship. Immediately we are confronted with the nature of God’s creation and, therefore, with the revelation of Himself and of how He works. We are confronted with the relational nature of all life; for nothing exists in isolation. Everything and every person finds full meaning only in relation to other things and persons

Love

But now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal.

And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

And if I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profiteth me nothing.

Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own, is not provoked, taketh not account of evil;

rejoiceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with the truth;

beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
1 Corinthians 13:1-7

Hope and Peace

For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:

Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.

For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? 1 Peter 3:10-14

A simple prayer:

Have mercy upon those to whom God has sent the bitter trial of separation from those they love!

Have mercy on that loneliness of heart, so full of sadness, so crushing, sometimes full of terror!

Have mercy upon those struggling against the difficulties of life, and faint with discouragement!

Have mercy on those whom fortune favors, whom the world fascinates, and who are free from care!

Have mercy on those to whom Thou hast given great tenderness of heart, great sensitiveness!

Have mercy on those who cease to love us, and never may they know the pain they cause!

Have mercy on those who have gradually withdrawn from Holy Communion and Prayer, and losing peace within, weep, yet dare not return to Thee!

Have mercy on all we love; make them holy even through suffering! if ever they estrange themselves from Thee, take, oh, take all my joys, and decoy them with the pleasures back again to Thee!

Have mercy on those who weep, those who pray, those who know not how to pray!

To all, O Jesus, grant Hope and Peace!

Pure of Heart

"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. "
Matthew 5: 3-9

And from that old French Book of Devotions:
Oh! if you could only witness the terrible struggles passing in the heart of that friend whose vivacity annoys you, whose fickleness provokes you, whose faults sometimes even make you blush....

Oh! if you saw the tears that are shed in secret, the vexation felt against self (perhaps on your account), you would indeed pity them. Love them! make allowances for them! never let them feel that you know their failings.

To make any one believe himself good, is to help him almost in spite of self to become so.

Do Some Good

"No eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived
what God has prepared for those who love him" 1 Corinthians 9

A young girl, in one of those moments when the heart seems to overflow with devotion, wrote thus in her journal: "If I dared, I would ask God why I am placed in the world; what have I to do? I know not; my days are idly spent, and I do not even regret them.... If I might but do some good to myself or another, if only for the short space of a minute in each day!." A few days later, when in a calmer mood she re-read these lines, she added, "Why, nothing is easier! I have but to give a cup of cold water to one of Christ's little ones."

Even less than that: a word of advice; something lent to another; a little vexation patiently borne; a prayer for a friend offered to God; the fault or thoughtlessness of another repaired without his knowledge—God will recompense it all a thousand-fold!

Healthy Living

"He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake." Psalm 23: 2-3

What are the most valuable lessons we might share with our beloved children? Certainly how to love and respect one another. How to treat others like we would like to be treated. How to have fun.

Most children are healthiest and happiest when they have a sense of optimism and self control. Sports and physical activity enhance a child's positive feelings about her self. Encourage your little ones to play - and have fun.

A child needs plenty of sleep. Some say - depending on the child's age - they require at least nine or ten hours of sleep a night. Sleep helps restore their brains and their strength! Sleep re-energizes them! ( As though they need any more! )

In addition to the love we give them perhaps teaching our children healthy habits might be a worthwhile endeavor! Giving them the countless benefits of healthy living. Encourage them to enjoy a variety of sports. Teach them to love and appreciate the abundance of healthy natural foods we are so blessed with. Spend some time showing them how to prepare and enjoy eating healthy foods!

Many parenting experts have suggested that - to a child - love is frequently spelled "t-i-m-e". Time spent with our children and loved ones is the best, and most memorable time of our lives. And theirs! Give your child the gift of love - spend time with your child and enjoy happy, healthy pursuits!


From an old French work on Devotions:
"Do not hesitate to ask for temporal blessings, better health, intellect, success. I can bestow them, and never fail to do so, where they tend to make the soul more holy. What wouldst thou this day, My child?... If thou didst but know how I long to bless thee!"

Lessons for my Son

Never separate yourself from God. How sweet it is to live always near those who love us!

You cannot see God, but He is there; just as if some friend were separated from you by a curtain, which does not prevent his seeing you, and which at any moment may unfold and disclose him to your view.

When the soul is unstained by sin, and if we remain still and recollected, we can perceive God's presence in the heart, just as we see daylight penetrating a room. We may not be always conscious of this Presence, but imperceptibly it influences all our actions. Oh! however heavy may be the burden you have to bear, does it not at once become light beneath the gaze of that Father's eye?

The thought of God is never wearisome; why not always cherish it? Go on, without trembling, beneath the Eye of God; never fear to smile, love, hope, and enjoy all that makes life sweet.

God rejoices in our pleasures as a mother in the joys of her child.

What is contrary to God's Will, grieves Him, and does you harm, that alone you need fear,—the thought that will stain your soul; the wish that troubles your heart; that unwholesome action, that will weaken your intellect, and destroy your peace.

Never long for what God sees fit to deny.

God, beside you, will repair your blunders, provide means whereby you may atone for that sinful action by one more virtuous, wipe away the tears caused by some unmerited reproof or unkind word.

You have only to close your eyes for a moment, examine yourself, and softly murmur, "Lord, help me!"

Can you not hear God's Voice speaking to you? What! when He says: Bear this, I am here to aid thee; will you refuse?

Trust in the Lord Always. And Share Your Love with others as often as you can!

Love and Self Esteem

"Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me." Mark 9:37 (King James Version)

If a child feels loved she or he is far more likely to feel safe and secure. To have healthy self esteem and eventually succeed in this lifetime. How can we share more love with our children? How can we show our children we love them? Those three words are easy to say. And just maybe we can supplement the verbal assurance with acts of love! Sometimes actions really do speak louder than words!

“Little children, let us not love in word or speech but in deed and in truth.” — 1 John 3:18

Communication is essential to the expression of love and indeed to life itself. Where there is love, there must be communication, because love can never be passive and inactive. Love inevitably expresses itself and moves out toward others. When communication breaks down, love is blocked.

A brief story of 2 families.

In one, the parents helped their children work through their difficulties with each other, thus assuming a shared, two-way dialogue and responsibility for what happened between them. In late teenhood, each child in turn became a person in his own right who had achieved a relatively mature, congenial, and loving relation with every other member of the family.

In the second family, the parents could not face the conflicts inevitable to human nature in a growing family, and pretended a quality of relationship that did not exist between them. When their children became late teen-agers and older, a smoldering antagonism existed between them which occasionally broke out in venomous quarrels. The parents of this second family had not assumed any shared or 2-way responsibility for the content of their family life, with the result that the interaction between the growing person and his environment was not creative.

One objective of love is to provide a relationship of firmness and tolerance within which a child may become autonomous and acquire a sense of self-control, self-esteem, and relationship with others. Otherwise he may suffer loss of confidence in himself and become skeptical of others, a result which can be the fruit of either restrictive discipline or unstructured freedom.

One key outcome of a healthy love enables our children to emerge with such a power of being as a person that they shall be able to face the complexities, pressures, deprivations, and dangers of modern life. Our aim is to help the child become a responsible participant in the crucial issues of life, and to preserve his integrity as a deciding person. The answer to his questions, Who am I? and Who are you?, will then be: I am what I will, and you are what you will!

Good Will

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men" Luke 2:14

This wonderful verse - so famous around the Holidays - is worth sharing year round isn't it? If we can share but a few lessons with our youth - perhaps this tiny little piece of wisdom might be at or near the top of any list.

Glory to God - whatever you perceive him to be. Kindness and good will towards others!

"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." John 13:34

"When the Spirit of God really dwells within, there is a baptism of love which evinces itself not only in the household, and to those naturally lovable, but goes out to all the world, and embraces in its tenderness such as have no natural traits of beauty. Thus the soft waters of the Southern Ocean lap against unsightly rocks and stretches of bare shingle.

Where love reigns in the inner chamber of the soul, doors do not slam, bells are not jerked violently, soft tones modulate the speech, gentle steps tread the highways of the world, bent on the beautiful work of the messengers of peace, and the very atmosphere of the life is warm and sunny as an aureole. There is no doubt of the indwelling Spirit where there is this outgoing love."
F.B. Meyer 1898

The Gift of Love

Furthermore, because human love can be ambiguous, we do not know whether it is safe to give and accept love. It is a risk both to love and to accept love, and all of us, to some degree, are afraid to take the risk. Some people, to be sure, have more courage for it than others. They love more courageously, and are more courageous in their acceptance of others’ love. These people seem to have a power of being that others lack.

The giving and receiving of love implies responsibility for one another, and we may withhold our love and reject the love of others as a way of evading the responsibility of love. We are willing to love up to the point where it begins to be inconvenient to love any more. We like the image of ourselves as loved and loving people, but we would like the benefit without the responsibilities of the role. When the response to our love presents us with demands, we may begin to hold people off. We may say: “Yes, to be sure, I love you, but keep your distance. I am willing to give of myself, but not too much. I need to keep something of me for myself.” By this attitude we are admitting that when we love another we have to give ourselves to him, entrust ourselves to him. Commitment to another person is a courageous act, and it is no wonder that we sometimes recoil from it.

What has been said about giving love is equally true of accepting love, for the acceptance of love also calls for trust and commitment. If I really respond to your love, I will open myself to the possibility of being hurt because your love cannot be completely trusted. Furthermore, if you should really love me, I am not worthy of your love and I do not welcome the judgment of me that is implicit in your love. I shall, therefore, make a cautious response to you and give myself to you guardedly. Then the person who is giving love is made lonely because his gift is not accepted. He, too, begins to withdraw and to dole out his love, which in turn increases the anxiety of the one to whom it is being given. This is an aspect of human fellowship which we need to recognize before we talk much about Christian fellowship. Human fellowship is both heroic and tragic; it is both renewing and destructive; it is both healing and hurtful, but it is indispensable to life. This is our human predicament.

Something is needed to cut into the ambiguity of human love. And this is what Christ does. He draws the confused currents of human love into the unifying stream of divine love, thus making possible a new relationship. As the apostle Paul makes clear, we become new creatures in Christ, and as such, a part of a new creation.

Let us love our children with complete abandon - as though there is no tomorrow. Perhaps we will plant the seeds of healthy love in their lives so that someday they will share their love with others!

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